The Enterprise Triple Constraint

The equilateral triangle has long been a symbol of balance and parity when depicting interrelated success factors. The well-known project triple constraint of scope, schedule, and cost emphasizes that changing or neglecting one of three basic factors will affect at least one of the other factors, and action-oriented decisions will be needed. This article broadens that concept to cover the enterprise as a whole and defines the triangle as strategic planning, business analysis, and program/project management. The result is a blueprint for promoting traceability from projects to programs to portfolios to strategy, thereby linking tactical deliverables to enterprise-level outcomes and benefits.

The significance for the project team is threefold. First, understanding the context of the enterprise triple constraint orients the team in both the long-term and short-term dimensions of the project. This greatly enhances identification of optimal solutions based on total cost of ownership. Second, the interdependence of the three constraint elements compels the team to be proactive rather than passive or reactive in connecting overall objectives with specific deliverables. This means that the project team must raise difficult or even unpopular topics, such as why and how the project or program fits the organizational strategy. And third, the need for mutual clarity at the …